Soltek SL-75FRN2-RL SATA install

[BarryG]

I have the above older board. The company is apparently no longer in business; therefore there is no support web site. The only place I've seen that has anything for download is http://www.czechcomputer.cz/product.jsp?artno=24061.

Now to the problem. I want to install Windows on a new hard drive on the SATA controller, a Promise PDC20376 on board chip. When installing Windows the option is given to press F6 to install controllers. I don't have the proper files to do this. The download from the Czechcomputer site doesn't have oemtxt setup (or whatever it is) file required by Windows setup. What do I do?

I just contacted the Promise people today. We'll see what they can do for me. In the meantime, anyone have any advice?

Barry

 

[CraigRT]

I may be able to dig up the driver disc for that board, and if I can find it, I will PM you..

I gotta say, I had that board, it was awesome. I've owned 3 Solteks and I really wish they were still in business. All 3 were pretty much trouble free and great.

 

[BarryG]

Thank you, That would be a lifesaver. Any experience you've had with that board would be valuable information.
It is running now with a PATA HDD quite well. I plan to upgrade the RAM, Video card and HDD (to SATA). After that it'll do quite well.
Barry

I may be able to dig up the driver disc for that board, and if I can find it, I will PM you..

I gotta say, I had that board, it was awesome. I've owned 3 Solteks and I really wish they were still in business. All 3 were pretty much trouble free and great.

 

[tcsenter]

This should work (latest driver I'm aware of):

http://s89934018.onlinehome.us/DRIVER/promise378.zip

 

[BarryG]

This should work (latest driver I'm aware of):

http://s89934018.onlinehome.us/DRIVER/promise378.zip

Working on installing now. How the heck did you find that?
Thanks.
B

 

[BarryG]

Well, the setup asked for F6 to be pressed, I did, and it saw the driver on the floppy. However, the drive didn't show up in the choices for installation. Sucks.

Barry

 

[BarryG]

Still trying different BIOS settings and such. I'm thinking a user manual telling me what a couple of jumpers do would be handy.
B

 

[tcsenter]

The drivers are required/supported only when the Promise controller is configured for RAID mode. If configured for IDE mode, the drivers aren't required.

What OS are you installing? What Service Pack level is the installation media patched to?

 

[BarryG]

I'll be installing XP SP3. In the BIOS the onboard serial ports (1&2) are set to "auto." No controller is seen in Windows. No anything. I'm starting to think this spare SATA data cable I'm using is no good. IIRC it failed in my personal desktop some time ago. Guess I'll go to the store and grab one.
I have to eliminate at least one variable.
BTW, I've read that sometimes the RAID must be configured for a single drive.

From the FAQ's for p4s8x on the Asus USA web site:

Question

Why can't I install OS on Promise 20376 connecter with singel SATA or IDE HDD? Even I already make a Promise 20376 driver disk and hit F6 key to upload Promise 20376 driver during Windows XP installation.

Answer

Please follow the steps below to install Windows XP or Windows 2000 on Promise 20376 connecter with single SATA or IDE HDD :

1.Please make sure the onboard SATA controller has set to "Enable" in BIOS.

2.Please hit "Ctrl" + "F" to enter Promise 20376 RAID BIOS after BIOS POST screen, and choose 1st selection, then hit "Ctrl" + "Y" to define a RAID HDD with single Hard disk,

3. Try to download Promise 20376 driver from ASUS website, and copy all files from Promise folder to an enpty floppy disk. you can download the driver here : http://www.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/misc/ide/pdc20376/pdc20376.zip

4. Plug in the floppy driver disk and boot from Windows XP or Windows 2000 O/S CD, then hit F6 key to upload the driver from floppy disk upon first Windows installation screen, and setup it step by step. After that, you will find that you can install operating system on Promise 20376 connecter with single SATA or IDE HDD.

Barry

 

[tcsenter]

Onboard serial ports are the COM ports, not the Serial ATA controller. Some boards implement the secondary RAID controller as RAID-only, so you can't change the mode of the controller from RAID to IDE. You can only enable or disable the controller altogether. Also check in the BIOS for controller Boot ROM option. If present, this must be enabled if you want to boot from the RAID controller.

 

[BarryG]

Was just hoping.
Did not see controller Boot ROM option in the BIOS. Don't see the Promise chip anywhere, BIOS or Windows.
Hopefully I'll find a user manual to read.
Barry

 

[CraigRT]

Barry, I just realized something. I have no been home much and have no been able to dig up the CD which I know exists somewhere, but nonetheless, I had the -L model of that board, not the -RL.

It may still contain the drivers, but my physical board was not equipped.

 

[BarryG]

Can't hurt to try it. I have time.

Barry, I just realized something. I have no been home much and have no been able to dig up the CD which I know exists somewhere, but nonetheless, I had the -L model of that board, not the -RL.

It may still contain the drivers, but my physical board was not equipped.

 

[krose]

I downloaded the file from CzechComputer and txtsetup.oem is in there. When you unzip the file, you'll get a folder with driver subfolders for each OS, plus txtsetup.oem, FASTTX2K, and readme files. Looking at txtsetup.oem, you will need to place txtsetup.oem, FASTTX2k file, and the XP driver folder on a floppy and it should work with F6.

 

[BarryG]

If that is the case then I'm betting the data cable is defective.
Barry

 

[cochee]

Hello. BarryG you must have enabled RAID controller to SATA and IDE3 PATA drive(s) work properly, does not matter if disks will work in RAID mode or as standalone disks. To do so, put jumper cap over pins 1,2 on jumper Jp4 which is situated between IDE3 and floppy connectors. Next, upon boot wait until FastTrak Fastbuild Utility loads and scans disks and press Ctrl-F, then configure your HDDs. Reboot is needed after this. If you intend to install OS on disk which is connected to RAID controller (i. e. SATAs or IDE3) I think you should enter BIOS Setup now and enable "boot from other device," I am not sure though if it is really necessary bcs now I boot from IDE1 disk and I don't remember exactly how was this settings in past when I used SATA disk to boot.
One note: SATA interface is older type I on this mobo so that SATA II disks will not work here unless they have jumper to configure it to SATA I/1.5Gb/s mode.

Hope this will help you,
cochee